Carl De Keyzer - Moments Before The Flood - 2012

The Coast: Question Mark of the Mainland

It now seems to be generally acknowledged that climate change, partly caused by human activity, will lead to a dramatic rise in sea levels this century. Some predict an increase of tens of centimeters, others as much as a few meters. Moments Before the Flood is a visual, photographic investigation of Europe's response to this unpredictable threat. The continent will feel the impact most keenly along its coasts, where the mainland feels less like solid ground, the Old World crumbles into the waves, and the future threatens the past. From the rocky West Coast of Ireland to the salt marshes and mud flats of northern Netherlands and the beaches of the Aegean, the coast is a perpetually unstable phenomenon, the question mark of the mainland. That is precisely what makes it such a fascinating subject for a photographic study of uncertainty. This project does not focus solely on the future hazard but also examines earlier forms of coastal protection in European history and reflects on how Fortress Europe is dealing with other kinds of flows and floods today.